Spoilage of food, especially meats, is known to produce a suite of biogenic amines, such as histamine, cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine and tyramine, due to microbial-mediated degradation of proteins. The presence of excessive biogenic amines in food products indicates food decomposition that leads to poor quality and hygiene problems and may ultimately result in food poisoning. For example, histamine produced by spoiled meat is highly toxic and can cause scombroid food poisoning.
Currently, gas chromatography is the main analytical instrumentation for the quantitative determination of biogenic amines in food products. However, gas chromatography is expensive and tedious to use and maintain. Other qualitative and semi-quantitative screening tools use molecularly imprinted polymers and antibody-based immunoassays, however theses tools are not readily available to or easy to operable by the average consumer. Accordingly, there is a significant need for a mechanism to detect biogenic amines resulting from food spoilage that can produce an easily detectable result without the use of an external testing instrument.